An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for performing corrective surgery on internal wounds such as a hernia where invasion of the patient's body tissues is minimized and resultant trauma is reduced.
A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure, or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained. In other words, a hernia is a defect in the abdominal wall through which a portion of the intra-abdominal contents can protrude. This often causes discomfort and an unsightly, visible bulge in the abdomen. When such a hernia defect occurs in the abdominal region, conventional corrective surgery has required opening the abdominal cavity by surgical incision through the major abdominal muscles. While this technique provides for effective corrective surgery of the hernia defect, it has the disadvantage of requiring a hospital stay of as much as a week, during which pain is frequently intense, and it requires an extended period of recuperation. After the conventional surgery, patients frequently cannot return to a full range of activity and work schedule for a month or more. Accordingly, medical science has sought alternative techniques that are less traumatic to the patient and provide for more rapid recovery.
Laparoscopy is the science of introducing a viewing instrument through a port into a patient's body, typically the abdominal cavity, to view its contents. This technique has been used for diagnostic purposes for more than 75 years. Operative laparoscopy is performed through tiny openings in the abdominal wall called ports. In most surgical techniques, several ports, frequently three to six, are used. Through one port is inserted the viewing device, which conventionally comprises a fiber optic rod or bundle having a video camera affixed to the outer end to receive and display images from inside the body. The various surgical instruments are inserted through other ports to do the surgery that normally would be performed through an open incision through the abdominal wall. Because the laparoscopic surgical techniques require only very small holes through the abdominal wall or other portions of the body, a patient undergoing such surgery may frequently leave the hospital within one day after the surgery and resume a full range of normal activities within a few days thereafter.
In repairing hernia the physician needs to first deploy the implant and then attach the implant to the tissue.
There are many patents and patent applications relating to attaching a prosthesis implant to a tissue via tacks. Each patent and patent application describes a different attachment mechanism via different anchoring means (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,524). Traditional anchors used in surgery include clips, staples, or sutures, and may also be referred to as tissue anchors. These devices are usually made of a biocompatible material (or are coated with a biocompatible material), so that they can be safely implanted into the body.
Most tissue anchors secure the tissue by impaling it with one or more posts or legs that are bent or crimped to lock the tissue into position. Thus, most traditional anchors are rigid or are inflexibly attached to the tissue. For example PCT No. WO 07/021834 describes an anchor having two curved legs that cross in a single turning direction to form a loop. Those two curved legs are adapted to penetrate tissue in a curved pathway. U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,816 describes surgical staple made of shape memory alloy. The staple is placed in contact of the tissue and then heated. The heating causes the staple to change its shape thus, penetrating the tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,452 describes a tissue attachment device that facilitates wound healing by holding soft tissue together under improved distribution of tension and with minimal disruption of the wound interface and its nutrient supplies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,584 describes a hernia implant which includes at least one anchoring device made of shape memory material. The anchoring devices are initially secured to the prosthesis by being interlaced through a web mesh constituting the prosthesis. The attachment is obtained by altering the attachment element's shape from rectilinear to a loop shape due to heat induced shape memory effect.
Yet other patent literature relates to devices for endoscopic application of surgical staples adapted to attach surgical mesh to a body tissue.
An example of such a teaching is to be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,364,004; 5,662,662; 5,634,584; 5,560,224; 5,588,581; and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,587.
There are a few patent and patent applications teaching the deployment of implants. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,961 which relates to an apparatus used for developing an anatomic space for laparoscopic hernia repair and an implant for use therewith. The apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,961 comprises a tubular introducer member having a bore extending therethrough. A tunneling shaft is slidably mounted in the bore and has proximal and distal extremities including a bullet-shaped tip. A rounded tunneling member is mounted on the distal extremity of the tunneling shaft. The apparatus comprises an inflatable balloon. Means is provided on the balloon for removably securing the balloon to the tunneling shaft. Means is also provided for forming a balloon inflation lumen for inflating the balloon. The balloon is wrapped on the tunneling shaft. A sleeve substantially encloses the balloon and is carried by the tunneling shaft. The sleeve is provided with a weakened region extending longitudinally thereof, permitting the sleeve to be removed whereby the balloon can be unwrapped and inflated so that it lies generally in a plane. The balloon as it is being inflated creates forces generally perpendicular to the plane of the balloon to cause pulling apart of the tissue along a natural plane to provide the anatomic space.
More patent literature can be found in PCT No. WO 08/065653 which relates to a device especially adapted to deploy an implant within a body cavity. The device is an elongate open-bored applicator and comprises (a) at least one inflatable contour-balloon, (b) at least one inflatable dissection balloon. The inflatable contour-balloon and the inflatable dissection balloon are adjustable and located at the distal portion. The elongate open-bored applicator additionally comprises (c) at least one actuating means located at the proximal portion. The actuating means is in communication with the inflatable contour-balloon and the inflatable dissection balloon. The actuating means is adapted to provide the inflatable contour-balloon and the inflatable dissection balloon with independent activation and/or de-activation.
Although all the above described patents and patent applications demonstrate attachment means or deployment means, none of the literature found relates to a reversible connection device which enable a reversible coupling between the implant and the implant deployment device.
Thus, there is still a long felt need for a device that will enable a reversible connection between the implant and the implant deployment device.